This is not a comparison. It's not a suggestion that Auburn's current starting quarterback bears any resemblance to the starter at that position in 2010.

There is no comparison between Nick Marshall and Cam Newton. There is no comparison between Newton and any other quarterback in Auburn history.

With that disclaimer out of the way, Marshall did something Saturday in the 24-20 win over Mississippi State that Newton didn't during his special season on the Plains.

Newton led the Tigers on plenty of comebacks in 2010, but he never got the ball with less than two minutes left needing a field goal to tie or a touchdown to win.

Newton never faced a score-or-lose proposition on his final possession in regulation.

Marshall did, and he aced the biggest test any quarterback faces. Despite an up-and-down first three quarters, with the game on the line, he was close to perfect. On the final drive, he completed 6 of 8 passes for 66 yards - at least one of the incompletions was dropped - and ran three times for 19 yards. He got Auburn in field goal position to send the game to overtime, but Gus Malzahn showed enough confidence in him to go for the win.

All Marshall did was make a strong pump fake, then hit C.J. Uzomah in stride in the end zone for the winning score.

Expect more growing pains along the way, especially this weekend at LSU in his first road start against the best defense he's faced by far, but that winning touchdown drive validated Malzahn's decision to make Marshall the starter.

Two things were obvious: Auburn doesn't win that same kind of game last year, and Auburn doesn't win that game without Nick Marshall.

How do you like Marshall now? How do you like AJ McCarron after he won a shootout with Johnny Manziel? Who's going to beat Alabama if Texas A&M couldn't do it in amped-up Kyle Field?